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Ecological site R054XY030ND

Shallow Loamy

Accessed: 12/21/2024

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General information

Provisional. A provisional ecological site description has undergone quality control and quality assurance review. It contains a working state and transition model and enough information to identify the ecological site.

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Figure 1. Mapped extent

Areas shown in blue indicate the maximum mapped extent of this ecological site. Other ecological sites likely occur within the highlighted areas. It is also possible for this ecological site to occur outside of highlighted areas if detailed soil survey has not been completed or recently updated.

Classification relationships

Level IV Ecoregions of the Conterminous United States: 43a – Missouri Plateau.

Associated sites

R054XY031ND	Loamy
R054XY035ND	Very Shallow
R054XY038ND	Thin Loamy

R054XY031ND

Loamy

R054XY035ND

Very Shallow

R054XY038ND

Thin Loamy

Similar sites

R054XY045ND	Limy Sands [Moderately deep entisol, usually calcareous within 4 inches to the surface, found on knobs and/or sideslopes of hills and buttes; will not form a ribbon; up slope of sands or sandy and down slope from shallow sandy ecological sites. Indicator species: Little bluestem, sand bluestem, and prairie sandreed, along with penstemon, silverleaf scurfpea, purple coneflower, yucca, creeping juniper, and leadplant. This site has less western wheatgrass, plains muhly, green needlegrass and sideoats grama, more little bluestem, sedges, prairie sandreed and sand bluestem, more production, deeper soils, no restrictive layer above twenty inches.]
R054XY028ND	Shallow Clayey [Some what excessively well drained soils more than 10 less than 20 inches to unweathered shales that restricts root penetration. Upslope of clayey site, surface layer will ribbon greater than 2 inches, upslope of clayey ecological site. Indicator species: western wheatgrass dominates with little bluestem, plains muhly and sideoats grama, gayfeather. This site has similar species but less little bluestem and sideoats, more plains muhly, green needlegrass, western wheatgrass, restrictive layer above twenty inches is shale, slightly less production.]
R054XY038ND	Thin Loamy [Deep and moderately deep entisols, usually calcareous within 4 inches to the surface, found on knobs and/or sideslopes of hills and buttes. Will form a ribbon greater than 1 inches but not more than 2 inches. Up slope of loamy and down slope of thin loamy or shallow loamy ecological sites. Indicator species: western wheatgrass, little bluestem, plains muhly, porcupinegrass and sideoats grama, with Missouri goldenrod, dotted gayfeather, pasqueflower, purple coneflower and purple prairie clover, and shrubs like winterfat and prairie rose. This site has similar species but more western wheatgrass, porcupine-grass and/or green needlegrass, less little bluestem, plains muhly, blue grama and sideoats grama, more production, deeper soils, no restrictive layer above twenty inches.]
R054XY043ND	Shallow Sandy [Some what excessively well drained soils more than 10 less than 20 inches to sedimentary sandstone bedrock and/or gravels that restricts root penetration. Surface layer will ribbon less than 1 inch unless above gravels than more than 1 but less than 2 inches. Upslope from thin loamy, limy sands, sands or sandy sites and some times down slope form very shallow ecological sites. Indicator species: little bluestem, prairie sandreed, sand bluestem, and needle grasses, with dotted gayfeather, pasqueflower, purple coneflower and purple prairie clover, and shrubs like prairie rose and yucca. This site has similar species but more little bluestem, sand bluestem, prairie sandreed and sedges, less plains muhly, green needlegrass, western wheatgrass, restrictive layer above twenty inches is sandstone or gravels, slightly more production.]
R054XY035ND	Very Shallow [Excessively well drained soils less than 10 inches to scoria, gravels, shales, siltstone or sandstone bedrock that restricts root penetration, upslope of shallow clayey, shallow loamy or shallow sandy ecological sites. Indicator species are little bluestem, sideoats grama, blue grama, purple coneflower, pasqueflower and creeping juniper. This site has similar species but more needleandthread, blue grama and little bluestem, less plains muhly, green needlegrass, western wheatgrass, restrictive layer above 10 inches is scoria or gravels, less production.]
R054XY031ND	Loamy [Does not receive additional moisture. Found on dry uplands upslope from loamy terraces or loamy overflow sites, down slope from thin loamy or shallow loam sites; similar landscape position as sandy, sands, clayey sites. Will ribbon greater than 1 inch and up to 2 inches. Indicator species are western wheatgrass some green needlegrass and blue grama, with fringed sagewort and western snowberry being the dominant shrubs. This site has more production, different landscape position, no restrictive layers above twenty inches, no little bluestem, plains muhly, and sideoats grama, more western wheatgrass and green needlegrass.]

Table 1. Dominant plant species

Tree	Not specified
Shrub	Not specified
Herbaceous	(1) Schizachyrium scoparium (2) Pascopyrum smithii

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Physiographic features

This site typically occurs on moderately sloping to very steep sedimentary uplands.

Table 2. Representative physiographic features

Landforms	(1) Hill (2) Knoll (3) Ridge
Flooding frequency	None
Ponding frequency	None
Elevation	1,600 – 3,600 ft
Slope	6 – 50%
Aspect	Aspect is not a significant factor

Climatic features

MLRA 54 is considered to have a continental climate – cold winters and hot summers, low humidity, light rainfall, and much sunshine. Extremes in temperature are characteristic. The climate is the result of this MLRA’s location in the geographic center of North America. There are few natural barriers on the northern Great Plains. The air masses move unobstructed across the plains and account for rapid changes in temperature.

Annual precipitation ranges from 14 to 18 inches per year. The normal average annual temperature is about 42° F. January is the coldest month with average temperatures ranging from about 13° F (Beach, ND) to about 16° F (Bison, SD). July is the warmest month with temperatures averaging from about 69° F (Beach, ND) to about 72° F (Timber Lake, SD). The range of normal average monthly temperatures between the coldest and warmest months is about 57° F. This large annual range attests to the continental nature of this MLRA's climate. Hourly winds are estimated to average about 11 miles per hour annually, ranging from about 13 miles per hour during the spring to about 10 miles per hour during the summer. Daytime winds are generally stronger than nighttime and occasional strong storms may bring brief periods of high winds with gusts to more than 50 miles per hour.

Growth of native cool-season plants begins in late March and continues to early to mid July. Native warm-season plants begin growth in mid May and continue to the end of August. Green up of cool-season plants can occur in September and October when adequate soil moisture is present.

Table 3. Representative climatic features

Frost-free period (average)	136 days
Freeze-free period (average)	157 days
Precipitation total (average)	18 in

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Figure 2. Monthly precipitation range

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Figure 3. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature

Soil features

The common features of soils in this site are the loam to silty clay loam textured substratum and slopes of 2 to 50 percent. The soils in this site are well drained and formed in soft siltstone, mudstone or sandstone. The silt loam to loam surface layer is 2 to 6 inches thick. The soils have a slow to moderately rapid infiltration rate. This site should show slight to no evidence of rills, wind scoured areas or pedestalled plants. Water flow paths are broken, irregular in appearance or discontinuous with numerous debris dams or vegetative barriers. The soil surface is stable and intact.

These soils are mainly susceptible to water erosion. The hazard of water erosion increases on slopes greater than about 15 percent. Low available water capacity coupled with high accumulations of lime and slow permeability strongly influences the soil-water-plant relationship. Loss of the soil surface layer can result in a shift in species composition and/or production.

Major soil series correlated to this ecological site can be found in Section II of the Natural Resources Conservation Service Field Office Technical Guide or the following web sites:
North Dakota http://www.nd.nrcs.usda.gov/ Montana http://www.mt.nrcs.usda.gov/
South Dakota http://www.sd.nrcs.usda.gov/

Table 4. Representative soil features

Surface texture	(1) Loam (2) Silt loam (3) Silty clay loam
Family particle size	(1) Loamy
Drainage class	Well drained
Permeability class	Moderately slow to moderate
Soil depth	10 – 20 in
Surface fragment cover <=3"	Not specified
Surface fragment cover >3"	Not specified
Available water capacity (0-40in)	2 – 4 in
Calcium carbonate equivalent (0-40in)	2 – 15%
Electrical conductivity (0-40in)	8 mmhos/cm
Sodium adsorption ratio (0-40in)	5
Soil reaction (1:1 water) (0-40in)	6.1 – 9
Subsurface fragment volume <=3" (Depth not specified)	20%
Subsurface fragment volume >3" (Depth not specified)	10%

Ecological dynamics

The site developed under Northern Great Plains climatic conditions, and included natural influence of large herbivores and occasional fire. Changes will occur in the plant communities due to climatic conditions and/or management actions. Due to the nature of the soils, the site is considered quite fragile. Under continued adverse impacts, a rapid decline in vegetative vigor and composition will occur. Under favorable vegetative management treatments the site can slowly return to the Reference Plant Community.

The plant community upon which interpretations are primarily based is the Reference Plant Community. The Reference Plant Community has been determined by study of rangeland relic areas, areas protected from excessive disturbance, and areas under long-term rotational grazing regimes. Trends in plant community dynamics ranging from heavily grazed to lightly grazed areas, seasonal use pastures, and historical accounts also have been considered. Subclimax plant communities, states, transitional pathways, and thresholds have been determined through similar studies and experience.

Continuous grazing without adequate recovery periods following each grazing occurrence over several years causes this site to depart from the Reference Plant Community. Species such as little bluestem, needleandthread, threadleaf sedge and blue grama will initially increase. Porcupine grass, green needlegrass, plains muhly and sideoats grama will decrease in frequency and production. Heavy continuous grazing causes blue grama and/or threadleaf sedge to increase and eventually dominate and pioneer perennials, annuals, and club moss (in its range) to increase. In time, heavy continuous grazing will likely cause upland sedges and blue grama to dominate and pioneer perennials, annuals, and club moss (in its range) to increase. This plant community is relatively stable and the competitive advantage prevents other species from establishing. This plant community is less productive than the Reference Plant Community. Runoff increases and infiltration will decrease. Soil erosion will be minimal.

Under extended periods of non-use and/or lack of fire will result in a plant community having high litter levels, which favors an increase in Kentucky bluegrass and/or smooth bromegrass and in time, shrubs such as fringed sagewort and cactus will increase.

Due to a general invasion of exotic species (such as Kentucky bluegrass and smooth bromegrass) across the MLRA within this site, returning to the 1.1 Western Wheatgrass/Needlegrass/Plains Muhly Plant Community Phase may not be possible.

Following the state and transition diagram are narratives for each of the described states and community phases. These may not represent every possibility, but they are the most prevalent and repeatable states/community phases. The plant composition tables shown below have been developed from the best available knowledge at the time of this revision. As more data are collected, some of these community phases and/or states may be revised or removed, and new ones may be added. The main purpose for including the descriptions here is to capture the current knowledge and experience at the time of this revision.

State and transition model

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Standard diagram

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Ecosystem states

1. Reference

State 1
Reference

The State narrative is under development.

Interpretations

Hydrological functions

Water is the principal factor limiting herbage production on this site. The site is dominated by soils in hydrologic group D. Infiltration varies from slow to moderately rapid and runoff potential varies from medium to high for this site depending on soil hydrologic group and ground cover. In many cases, areas with greater than 75% ground cover have the greatest potential for high infiltration and lower runoff. An exception would be where short grasses form a dense sod and dominate the site. Areas where ground cover is less than 50% have the greatest potential to have reduced infiltration and higher runoff (refer to Section 4, NRCS National Engineering Handbook for runoff quantities and hydrologic curves).

Recreational uses

This site provides hunting opportunities for upland game species. The wide variety of plants which bloom from spring until fall have an esthetic value that appeals to visitors.

Wood products

No appreciable wood products are present on the site.

Other products

Seed harvest of native plant species can provide additional income on this site.

Supporting information

Inventory data references

Information presented here has been derived from NRCS clipping and other inventory data. Also, field knowledge of range-trained personnel was used. All descriptions were peer reviewed and/or field tested by various private, state and federal agency specialist.
Those involved in developing this site description include: Dennis Froemke, NRCS Range Management Specialist; Jeff Printz, NRCS State Range Management Specialist; Stan Boltz, NRCS Range Management Specialist; Darrell Vanderbusch, NRCS Resource Soil Scientist; L. Michael Stirling, NRCS Range Management Specialist; Dean Chamrad, NRCS State Range Management Specialist; Michael D. Brand, State Land Dept. Director Surface Management; David Dewald, NRCS State Biologist; and Brad Podoll, NRCS Biologist.
Data Source Number of Records Sample Period State County
SCS-RANGE-417 13 1968 – 1986 ND; SD Dewey, Grant, Hettinger, Perkins,
Slope, Ziebach
Ocular estimate 5 2000 – 2001 ND Bowman, Dunn, Morton, Stark

Other references

High Plains Regional Climate Center, University of Nebraska, 830728 Chase Hall, Lincoln, NE 68583-0728. (http://hprcc.unl.edu)
USDA, NRCS. National Water and Climate Center, 101 SW Main, Suite 1600, Portland, OR 97204-3224. (http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov)
USDA, NRCS. National Range and Pasture Handbook, September 1997
USDA, NRCS. National Soil Information System, Information Technology Center, 2150 Centre Avenue, Building A, Fort Collins, CO 80526. (http://nasis.nrcs.usda.gov)
USDA, NRCS. 2001. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.1 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.
USDA, NRCS, Various Published Soil Surveys.

Contributors

Jeff Printz
Jeff Printz/Stan Boltz

Rangeland health reference sheet

Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health is a qualitative assessment protocol used to determine ecosystem condition based on benchmark characteristics described in the Reference Sheet. A suite of 17 (or more) indicators are typically considered in an assessment. The ecological site(s) representative of an assessment location must be known prior to applying the protocol and must be verified based on soils and climate. Current plant community cannot be used to identify the ecological site.

Author(s)/participant(s)	J. Printz, S. Boltz, R. Kilian, D. Froemke, M. Rasmusson
Contact for lead author	jeff.printz@nd.usda.gov 701-530-2080
Date	05/13/2011
Approved by
Approval date
Composition (Indicators 10 and 12) based on	Annual Production

Indicators

Number and extent of rills:
Due to the wide slope range associated with this site, the number and extent of rills will vary from none on sites with slopes of < 9% to common on slopes > 25%.
Presence of water flow patterns:
Due to the wide slope range associated with this site, water flow patterns will vary from barely observable on sites with slopes of < 9% from broken and irregular in appearance to continuous on slopes > 25%.
Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:
Not evident on slopes < 9%. Erosional pedestals will be present with terracettes present at debris dams on slopes >9%.
Bare ground from Ecological Site Description or other studies (rock, litter, lichen, moss, plant canopy are not bare ground):
Bare ground is 25 to 40%.
Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:
Active gullies restricted to concentrated water flow patterns on steeper slopes.
Extent of wind scoured, blowouts and/or depositional areas:
None.
Amount of litter movement (describe size and distance expected to travel):
Little to no plant litter movement occurs on slopes < 9%. Litter movement does occur on slopes > 25%.
Soil surface (top few mm) resistance to erosion (stability values are averages - most sites will show a range of values):
Plant cover and litter is at 60% or greater of soil surface and maintains soil surface integrity. Stability class anticipated to be 5 or greater.
Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
Use soil series description for depth, color and structure of A-horizon.
Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
Plant canopy (40% maximum), moderate to moderately slow rates.
Presence and thickness of compaction layer (usually none; describe soil profile features which may be mistaken for compaction on this site):
No compaction layer would be expected except for the naturally occurring rooting restriction occurring at 10 to 20 inches.
Functional/Structural Groups (list in order of descending dominance by above-ground annual-production or live foliar cover using symbols: >>, >, = to indicate much greater than, greater than, and equal to):

Dominant:
Mid, warm-season bunchgrass = Mid, cool-season bunchgrasses >

Sub-dominant:
mid, cool-season rhizomatous grass >

Other:
short, warm-season grass > forbs > grass-likes > shrubs > short, cool-season grasses

Additional:
Due to differing root structure and distribution, Kentucky bluegrass and smooth bromegrass do not fit into reference plant community F/S groups.
Amount of plant mortality and decadence (include which functional groups are expected to show mortality or decadence):
Some plant mortality and decadence would be expected (5 – 10%).
Average percent litter cover (%) and depth ( in):
Litter cover is in contact with soil surface.
Expected annual annual-production (this is TOTAL above-ground annual-production, not just forage annual-production):
Representative value = 1400 lbs/ac with a range of 800 lbs/ac to 2000 lbs/ac (air dry weight) depending upon growing conditions.
Potential invasive (including noxious) species (native and non-native). List species which BOTH characterize degraded states and have the potential to become a dominant or co-dominant species on the ecological site if their future establishment and growth is not actively controlled by management interventions. Species that become dominant for only one to several years (e.g., short-term response to drought or wildfire) are not invasive plants. Note that unlike other indicators, we are describing what is NOT expected in the reference state for the ecological site:
State and local noxious, Kentucky bluegrass, smooth bromegrass
Perennial plant reproductive capability:
Not limited.

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